A San Diego County sheriff’s deputy shot a man after a struggle in which the man attempted to get the deputy’s gun in an unincorporated area near El Cajon on Thursday night, authorities said.

The incident occurred about 6:40 p.m. on Persimmon Avenue near Oro Street.

A deputy was patrolling the 1200 block of Persimmon Avenue and noticed a car that was tailgating his vehicle, said sheriff’s Sgt. Roy Frank.

The deputy pulled over to the side of the road, and the car pulled over behind him, Frank said.

The driver then jumped out of the window of the car on the driver’s side, and an altercation ensued in which the man attempted to get the deputy’s gun. During the struggle, the man was shot in the upper torso, Frank said.

The man was taken to a hospital, where he was reported to be in fair condition. He was described as an adult in his early 30s.

Frank said that the Sheriff’s Department received a phone call during the incident from someone believed to be the suspect.